Packing full ultrasound power in a probe with USB plug in
Portable ultrasound just got more compact with the first transducer embedded with a full scanning system that plugs into the USB port of tablet or laptop computers.
In recent years ultrasound has gone portable with increasingly smaller systems that can be put in your pocket. Teknova has gone further putting the full power of ultrasound in the palm of your hand with the new H1 being introduced at Medica 2011.
Now any computer with a USB port and running a Windows operating system can be turned into an ultrasound scanner by simply installing the H1 software.
According to Chris Wang, director for international Business at Teknova, the H1 will begin shipping to customers in the first quarter of 2012. He said Teknova will officially launch the power-packed probe at the European Congress of Radiology in March in Vienna.
Meanwhile in its sneak preview here at Medica the innovative H1 is stopping traffic in Hall 16.
Plugged into two models of tablet computers, the lightness and ease of use surprised passers-by.
Battery-powered with the beam forming capabilities packed into a conventional sized had probe, the H1 is designed for fast-response in trauma and intensive care units, Wang explained. Though he added the company has been pleasantly surprised by the keen interest by veterinarians that included the largest practice group in Germany that stopped to see the H1.
Teknova's ability to shape innovative new products comes out of the company's key strength in research and development, he said.
"We developed and own the core technology for beam forming, and we build our own software," said Wang. "This gives us unique advantages to design new approaches, like H1, and it also gives our customers the advantage that we can customize our products to fit their specific requirements for workflow or clinical protocols."
Teknova is building on a strong business base in China as it expands to international markets. The company won the largest tender ever awarded in China in 2004, winning over larger Chinese competitors with a higher international profile.
This year the company created a partnership with the Chinese consumer electronics giant Malata Group that Wang said creates new competitive advantages for procuring components, customizing mother boards at the heart of Teknova technology, and expanding production capacity.
"We also have access to industrial design talents for progressively refreshing the entire product line," he said.
18.11.2011
